nonstop

American  

[non-stop, non-stop] / ˈnɒnˈstɒp, ˈnɒnˌstɒp /

adjective

1. being without a single stop en route.

   a nonstop bus; a nonstop flight from New York to Paris.

2. happening, done, or held without a stop or pause or without offering relief or respite.

   The ambassador faced a nonstop schedule of meetings and interviews during her visit.

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adverb

1. without a single stop en route.

2. Informal. without a pause or interruption or without respite; continually.

   My back ached nonstop for three days.

noun

1. a long-distance airline flight that makes no stops between the starting point and the destination.

nonstop British  

/ ˈnɒnˈstɒp /

adjective

1. done without pause or interruption

   a nonstop flight

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Etymology

Origin of nonstop

First recorded in 1900–05; non- + stop

Explanation

Things that are nonstop keep going all the time without pausing. A week of nonstop rain can cause flooding, and be pretty gloomy too. You can use the word nonstop as an adjective or adverb, and while it can literally mean "without stopping," it's also frequently used in an exaggerated way, to mean "a lot of the time." Your friend's description of a nonstop dance party or a nervous substitute teacher who giggles nonstop are examples of this. A nonstop plane flight, on the other hand, literally flies from one city to another without landing at another airport on the way.

Example Sentences

The Journal’s Jessica Flint spent three days living at the gym, and said the experience felt less like a nonstop workout and more like an immersion in a high-end health village.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

In a post on X, White House communications director Steven Cheung said on Saturday that Trump "has been working nonstop in the White House and Oval Office" this Easter weekend.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

As cell signal returned, Alberto González’s phone buzzed nonstop with messages.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

She played the album nonstop: “I was known not to take requests, but now I wouldn’t even change the album. Everyone in the bar was obliged to bathe in the sounds of the future.”

From Salon • Mar. 24, 2026

He sat behind me in third grade and was nonstop tapping my shoulder to borrow everything, like pencils and loose-leaf.

From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

Related Words

• ceaseless
• constant
• endless
• incessant
• interminable
• relentless
• round-the-clock
• steady
• unbroken
• unending
• uninterrupted